Truck-centering device



A April 2, 192 9.

f G. GENZLINGER' TRUCK GENTERING DEVICE Filed Oct. 5, 1927 ATTORNEYSPatented Apr. 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES GUSTAV GENZLINGER, 0F H'UN'IINGDON PATENT OFFlCE.

VALLEY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO FRANKLIN RAILWAY SUPPLY COMPANY, OFNEW YORK, N. 'Y., A CORPORATION 0E DELAWARE.

TRUCK-(ENTERING DEVICE.

Application filed October 5, 1927. Serial No. 224,045.

My invention relates to an improved truck centering device which isprimarily intended for use on locomotive trucks, but s also applicableto other trucks, such, for example, as railway car trucks. The type 0ttruck with which my invention has to do is commonly known as a lateralmotion? truck.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of an efiectivecentermg dev ce for trucks of the character described which not only hasextended life, l)l lt Wh1Ch is of such character that the possibility ofbreakage and failure is practically eliminated.

How the foregoing, together with such other objects and advantages asmay hereinafter a ear, or are incident to my Invention,

. are rea ized, is illustrated in preferred form in the accompanyingdrawings, where n Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view through a trucksuch as commonly used in railway practice to which my device 15 applied,the section being taken through the central portion of the truclr and myimproved centering device and-certain other parts appearing inelevation.

Fig. 2 is a -fragmentary section taken on the line2--2 of Fig. 1.

V Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating a modification of myinvention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified detail of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a face view of a mod1fiedrocker to be associated with thedetail shown in Fig. 4, and a Fig. 6 illustrates still anothermodification of my invention.

Referring now more partrcularh to Figs. 1 and 2, the reference letter Ain cates the main frame of a truck constructed in a manner common inrailway practice, B indicates a center plate, and C indicates a centerpm which is received by the center plate B.

The center plate B is provided with a pair of spaced members 7, 7 whichrest upon the upper point or surface of the pairs of rocker members 8,8. These rocker members are providedwith spaced trunnions 9, 9 whichseat in the correspondingly spaced seats or rounded grooves 10, 10. Inthis instance I have shown the seats 10, 10 as being formed in thedetachable strips 11 which may be secured iii-any suitable. manner tothe support or cross member 12 connecting the side members'of the-truckframe. Although this is a preferred construction it will be understoodthat the seats may be formed directly in the support if desired.

The rockers 8, 8 each comprise a pair of spaced substantiallyheart-shaped members connected by means of the member 13, in thisinstance shown as integral therewith. The usual link mechanism 1) may beprovided.

As thus far described the construction of the device is similar "tocentering devices now used, and further description of these parts isnot deemed necessary.

Referring now to my improvements, I propose to extend the life of suchdevices and to make such devices more effective by providing meansadapted to take some of the thrusts developed in operation of the deviceand thus relieve the trunnions 9 of much strain and also very materiallyreduce wear of the trunnions as well as of their seats. To theaccomplishment of these ends I have provided trunnion-like means E forthe rocker devices 1n addition to the usual trunnions 9, 9. In the formillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 I have provided upstanding tooth shapedmembers 14 on the plates 11 which are located intermediate the spacedrocker seats 10, 10. Each member 14.- has a curved surface 15 struckfrom a center coinciding with the axis of the trunnion seat as indicatedby the radial line 15 and a curved surface 16 struck from a centercoinciding with the axis of the other trunnion and seat as indicated bythe radial line 16. The rockers are provided with recesses or grooves 17having curved surfaces correspondingly struck which contact with thecurved surfaces of the members 14. 'Stated in another way the surface 15is curved concentrically with one of the trunnions 9 and the surfacelfiis curved concentrically with the other trunnion 9.

Assuming now that lateral motion takes place in a direction to cause therockers to swing about the right hand trunnions 9, it will be noted thatthe left hand curved surfaces of the grooves 17 slide on the curvedsurfaces 15 of the members 1d, thus providing bearing surfaces'inaddition to the trunnion bearing surfaces. When the rocker swings in theother direction the additional bearing surfaces are provided by theopposite curved surfaces. The provision of these extra bearing surfacesvery materially reface 14. at the top duces the wear at the trunnions 9for the reason that all of the thrusts developed in operation of thedevice, i. e., when lateral motion occurs, do not have to be taken atthe trunnions 9 alone, but are taken in part by the trunnion means E. Inother words, each rocker is, in fact, provided with three trunnion-likemeans, at least two of which are adapted to take thrusts duringoperation of the device. Throu h the practice of my invention thepossibility of breakage at the trunnions is practically eliminated as isalso the tendency for the trunnions 9 and their seats to wear out ofshape.

It is to be noted that when the device'is in its normal position, asvillustrated in Fig. 1, the trunnion-like means E serve to relieve thetrunnions 9 of wear which would otherwise occur due to the pounding ofthe truck over rough tracks.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 3 I

have shown the tooth-like member 14 as be ing formed on the rocker 8 andthe groove 17 as bei formed in the seat plate 11.

Fig. 4.- il ustrates a seat plate 11 which is used in association with arocker 8 illustrated in Fig. 5, the plate 11 being provided with a halftooth-like member 14 and a half groove 17 and the rocker being providedwith a half groove 17 adapted to cooperate with the member 14" and ahalf tooth-like member 14 adapted to cooperate with the groove 17*. Therockers and supports illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 combine the improvedfeatures of the form shown in Fig. 1 and the form shown in Fi 3.

In Fig. 6 I have provided a machined surof the member 14 and a machinedsurface 14 on the'rocker at the bottom of the groove, which surfaces areadapted to abut when the rocker is.in its normal position asillustrated. This further ensures against distortion or wear of thetrunnions 9 when the truck pounds in traversing rough tracks.

I claim 1. In a centering device for railway vehicles, the combinationof rockers having trunnions thereon, supporting seats for saidtrunnions, and supplemental bearing surfaces 00- operating to take aportion of the thrusts developed in operation of the device.

2. In a centering devlce for railway vehicles, the combination ofrockers having t-run-' nions thereon, a support having seats for saidtrunnions, and supplemental means taking a portion of thethrustsdeveloped in operation of the device including cooperatingbearing surfaces on the rockers and support.

3. In a centering device for railway vehicles, the combination ofrockers having trunnions thereon, a support having seats for saidtrunnions, and supplemental means taking a portion of the thrustsdeveloped in operation of the device including curved surfaces on therockers and curved surfaces on the support, said surfaces cooperating toconstitute seats for the rocker supplementing the aforesaid seats.

4. In a centering device for railway vehicles, the combination ofrockers having spaced trunnions thereon, a support for the rocker havingspaced seats for the trunnions, and bearing surfaces on said supportintermediate the spaced seats engageable by the rocker and takingthrusts developed in operation of the device.

5. In a centering device for railway vehicles, the combination of arocker having trunnions thereon, a support having seats for saidtrunnions, a tooth-like member on said support, and a recess in saidrocker complementary to the tooth-like member.

6. In a centering device for railway vehicles, the combination of arocker having spaced trunnions thereon and a support havingcorrespondingly spaced seats for said trunnions, said rocker havingcurved surfaces struck from centers coinciding with the axes of thetrunnions, and said support having curved surfaces struck from centerscoinciding with the axes of the seats, the curved surfaces on the rockerbeing so disposed with relation to the curved surfaces on the supportthat bearings in addition to those afforded by the seats are providedfor the rocker.

7. In a centering device for railway vehicles, the combination of arocker member having spaced trunnions thereon and a support memberhaving correspondingly spaced seats for said'trunnions, said rockermember having curved surfaces concentric with the trunnions, and saidsupport member having curved surfaces concentric. with the seats, acurved surface of one of said members bearing an a curved surface of.the other of said memers.

8. In a centering device for railway vehicles, the combination of arocker, a support, more than two trunnion-like means, and seat meanscooperating with the trunnion means whereby thrusts in the operation ofthe device are taken by at least two of the trunnions.

9. In a centering device for railway vehicles, the combination of arocker, a support, more than two trunnion-like means, and seatmeans'cooperating with the trunnion means whereby thrusts in theoperation of the device are taken by at least two of the trunnions,together with abutment means for relieving said trunnions of unduevertical thrusts when the rocker is in normal position.

10. In a truck centering device the combination of rocker means,bearings upon which said rocker means may rotate when displacedlaterally and supplemental bearings for taking a portion of the thrustsdeveloped in operation of the device.

11. In a truck centering device the commo'naaa hination of a rockermember, a hearing meniher, one of said members having spaced trunnionsand the other spaced seats for the trunnions and said members havingcooperating 5 bearing surfaces adapted to supplement the trunnions andseats in taking thrusts developed in operation of the device.

12. A rocker for truck bearings having spaced trunnions and curvedbearing surface intermediate the trunnions, said surfaces 10 beingstruck from centers coinciding with the axes of the trunnions.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name,

GUSTAV GENZLINGER,

